This invention relates generally to data storage/data retrieval systems and more particularly to systems of such type which are adapted to store a plurality of magnetic data cartridges in a single housing, or data library, and access a selected one, or ones, of the data cartridges to store data on such one, or ones of such data cartridges and/or retrieve data previously stored on such one, or ones of the data cartridges.
As is known in the art, large amounts of data may be stored on data cartridges, such as tape cassettes, compact disc (CD) read only memories (ROMs), digital linear tape cartridges, and helical tape cartridges. Such data storage systems may be used, for example, as a system for backing up data used in a local area network of personal computers. The amount of data to be stored may require more than one standard data cartridge. A housing, or library to house a plurality of data cartridges has been suggested. Many of these systems, or libraries, however, take up considerable space because the mechanism used to retrieve one of the cartridges uses a two-dimensional orthognal configuration, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,629 (O'Neil et al.), a cylindrical grid configuration, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,193 (Geraci), or a circular confirmation, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,541 (Tanahashi et al.).
Other configurations are shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,294 (Burkhart); U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,916 (Namba); U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,741 (Uemura); U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,858 (Chambers); and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,539 (Young).